Broken
by whenjenn
Summary: Companion one-shot to Drabble #3. Happy birthday to Arsalan and Oh!


**AN: **Really, really short one-shot. Dedicated to **Arsalan** for her birthday today! =D It's based off the Broken drabble, which was her favorite, that I wrote. Since it didn't make it through voting though, being a couple votes short, here it is!

**Broken**

Dastan groaned internally as he moved at the speed of an old lady with on crutches. The adrenaline of battle had worn off, and all that was left was pure pain. Everything hurt. It hurt to move, it hurt to breathe, it hurt to think, it hurt to be alive. The exhaustion was setting into every bone in his body, every inch of flesh.

"I think you're getting weaker, brother! Is Alamut making you fat?"

"What are you talking about, Prince Garsiv? Our Dastan has always been fat!"

Dastan let out a weak smile. So apparently his internal groan wasn't so internal.

"Or maybe it's because I've broken some ribs." Dastan grasped his left side as a sudden stab went through his body, wreaking havoc on his nervous system.

"Augh. Stop mocking me, Garsiv! You were the one that started crying over a broken wrist!"

"That was when we were ten!" Dastan smirked and trudged towards the palace. He was ready to take a bath and just fall asleep next to Tamina. At the thought of her, Dastan smiled, causing him to wince in pain.

"Oh, of course _she_ would get you to smile even though you're so wounded." Dastan glared at Bis and the laughing Garsiv. Those two were never going to let him forget how he had decided to choose monogamy, but he knew that though they didn't understand it, they would respect him for it.

"You might want to a little bit more manly though, brother. It shouldn't be too hard as you look like a girl right now." Dastan surprisingly listened to Garsiv. The last thing he wanted was to look completely battle-worn, like he actually was, and give Tamina a panic attack. She hadn't wanted him to go out and fight in the first place, but he had insisted that he would fight alongside his brothers to protect their holy city.

Dastan straightened up and removed all traces of discomfort from his countenance and gait. This was the first time he had gone into battle after marrying Tamina, and he knew that she was quite worried, no matter how calm she appeared. He could tell when her façade of peace descended – she became the High Priestess and Princess instead of his wife. He hated it, but at the same time he comprehended why she did it. It was her way of protecting herself, trying in vain to put up defenses in their relationships when she felt the situation to be unstable.

As he reached the palace steps, Dastan braced himself for the shooting daggers that would accompany each stride forward. Nodding, he parted ways with Garsiv and Bis, turning left towards his room. Dastan bottled up the pain coursing through his body on the seemingly endless walk to his bed chambers. His armor was crusted with blood and sand from battle, and his skin etched with grime and sweat. He felt disgusting, smelled disgusting, and probably looked disgusting. The last thing he needed was to convey a mood of disgusting.

When he opened the door to the room, Dastan was stunned at what he saw. His normally composed Princess was pacing the room madly, muttering under her breath all the while. He had no idea what had gotten her into such a frenzy, walking around in circles and so focused that she didn't notice his presence. It was only when he caught sight of one of his twin swords, which he had lost in battle, lying on the ground and his name uttered from his lips, did he understand.

As she walked away from him once more, Dastan seized the moment and wrapped his arms around her waist from behind, pushing aside the objections of his body to the movement. He could tell that she was startled by the way her hand reached for her dagger, which he had hand carved for her, and the way she stiffened in his hold.

"Is that how you greet everyone who gives you a hug?" Dastan grinned as his wife spun around in his arms, recognizing his voice and embrace.

"Dastan! I thought…I thought…" Dastan shut his eyes as he pulled her body closer to his.

"Shh…It's okay. I'm here. I'm alive. I'm fine. Shh…Nothing happened." Dastan whispered words of comfort as she crushed him in a hug, sobs wracking her body, tears soaking his shirt.

Dastan slowly rubbed circles against her back, listening to her sobs subside. When she finally released him from her iron grip, he kept one hand on her waist. The other he used to wipe away her tears as best he could, making sure not to get any part of the battle on her sun-kissed skin.

"I didn't believe the soldier when he gave me the news. He- You- I just didn't. There was no logic to why, but I didn't. I couldn't."

"I told you I would come back to you. One of my swords just arrived before me." He watched as Tamina bit her lip, unsure of what to do after her surprising display of emotion. "Since I already got your clothes dirty, can you help your favorite husband take off his armor?"

"My _only_ husband." As he earned a slap upside the head, Dastan simply took in Tamina's presence, happy to be reunited with her, safe and sound.

While he was observing her, Dastan found that Tamina's fingers were still trembling as they untied the straps of his armor. Grabbing both her hands, he halted their movement, willing the tension and anxiety to leave her body. Gradually, he placed her hands back on the ties, helping her remove his own armor. When all the ties were undone, he placed his hands over hers to lift his weighty breastplate. As the bottom edge of it grazed his chest, Dastan couldn't help but wince, immediately hoping that she didn't catch it. Of course, she did and had quickly withdrawn her hands, leaving him hefting the heaviest piece of armor in his weary limbs.

"Dastan?"

"Tamina, the plate. Help, please?" Dastan could tell she was hesitant, but as his arms sagged an inch, she assisted him once more.

"You're hurt." He could hear the accusation in her voice, the anger.

"It's nothing. Just a few broken ribs. Some of them maybe from your hug."

Dastan smirked as Tamina's eyes narrowed.

"I love you too, Princess."

**AN: **Happy birthday, **Arsalan **and **Oh**. =D I hope you guys enjoyed the very quick one-shot. **Review** please? =]


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